


Bring Out the Dancing Lobsters

by MagicalMilly



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Art, Dancing, F/M, First Dates, Fluff, Happy, haru is his muse, i just think they're both so artsy and passionate and they both love to do weird things, it cute, it's fluff, yusuke also thinks that calling someone a lobster is the highest praise, yusuke zones out a lot and doesn't always pay attention when he's in the art zone.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2019-10-22 09:41:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17660369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicalMilly/pseuds/MagicalMilly
Summary: Yusuke falls in love with Haru at first sight.He doesn't realize that it's love.He just knows that he is inspired to create more art and that she's his muse.And that the last thing to inspire him like this were his lobsters.And that's some high praise indeed.





	1. A Whole New Muse

By exploring nature, by paying attention to one’s surroundings… that was the key to finding beauty. Yusuke had always lived by that ideal and made a point to take a moment in every situation to fully search his surroundings and find beauty, however fleeting.

 

It is this method of seeing the world that causes him to notice her at first.

 

Being in Hawaii was, admittedly, overwhelming for him. Beauty was everywhere. The sunrises and sunsets, the ocean waves, the flora and fauna, the culture. Everywhere he looked, there was beauty. Which only emphasized to him how much she stood out.

 

Quietly sitting alone under the palm trees, overlooking the beach, there she was. Dignified and demure, yet he could see life battling under the surface. Where Ann was beautiful due to her fire and her unabashed way of existing, this woman existed in a cloud of class and depth. Even Makoto’s proper nature couldn’t begin to hold a candle to the polished excellence of the petite girl sitting down near them.

 

While he was the one to point out the girl to Ryuji and Ren, and he knows he contributed to the conversation, he honestly cannot remember it very well. He was too busy focusing on her mannerisms: how her fingers grasped her gentle wrists with an alarming amount of force every time she went to speak (almost as if to keep herself in check), how her smile never moved an inch (but the muscles around the lips wouldn’t stop moving), how her eyes refused to meet theirs head on (but were filled with _such amazing_ _light and fire_ ). When she stood up at the end of their conversation to head back to the hotel, Yusuke couldn’t help but be captivated by the litheness of her movement, how she kept herself as small as possible, but moved with the grace of a dancer. _Ballet? Tap?_ He saw the rolling of the wrist as she went to gesture towards the beach. _Definitely dance._

 

Each step she took continued to give him inspiration, each was light and purposeful. She was methodical in creating the least impact possible against the sand beneath her, barely leaving a trace of her steps. To him, she was like a fairy, a nymph, a caretaker of nature: both exemplifying the serene grace and strong restraint of the world, as well as taking care to not create an impact on the existing beauty.

 

But, as he had learned with Ann, it wouldn’t do to pressure her or demand attention. Besides, a a beauty who was able to coexist with nature in such a way should be approached with the same care and consideration that she gave the world around her. She apparently went to Shujin with the others, so, with any hope, fate would smile down upon him and allow him to see her, would allow him to interact with her, allow her to pose for him.

 

\---

 

Later that evening, back in his room, he couldn’t get his mind off of her.

 

Sketch after sketch of her: one with the sand, one with the sunset, one with the shore, dancing atop the waves and directing them towards their goal. Skirting the top of the sand, but never leaving her mark. Her hair, textured as it was, with the wind and the flowers running through it. She evoked nature and motion and peace within him with every sketch he churned out.

 

The last time he had felt this enamored with a subject, it was the lobsters at the beach right before the trip. It was the same passion, the same connection with nature, the same pull of trying to understand and capture a complex subject. He had no idea that he could find those same layers of interest in a human form. And, now that he had, he wanted to see how similar the two muses were in terms of inspiring more art.

 

Muse? It felt strange to attach that word to her, but, the more he thought about it, the more it fit. He had found his muse, and with the sketch he had captured of his memory of her, it would hopefully sustain him long enough to paint the feelings she had cause to emerge from his soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!
> 
> I know, another fic... while I still have all my other stuff going on. I am still writing those, but this was a happy little fluffy thing that came into my mind. And I decided to do it. It isn't going to be long. Just a handful of snapshots that I have scribbled down on my fanfic ideas list. 
> 
> I might make a whole series about random pairings, as I honestly pair every PT with every other PT without issues. 
> 
> But this is definitely a side fluffy project and I hope that you guys enjoy it!


	2. Beauty Thief

Loathe as he was to admit it, Yusuke was a little overwhelmed to partake in his usual art creation schedule. 

 

New Palaces always ate up more of his creating time, but, honestly, it all evened out. He would spend the few days running through the amazing fantasy worlds, coming home exhausted but exhilarated and filled with inspiration that he could not find anywhere else. And, then, in the days off or after the heist, he would be able to fully act upon all of the supernatural sights he was gifted through their adventures. He was still creating work that was inspired by the Pyramid from Futaba’s Palace. 

 

While he was waiting for the rest of the Phantom Thieves to arrive at the hideout, he flipped open his sketchbook to an incomplete drawing of one of the Sphinxes shattering into technodata. His teacher would probably think it was a metaphor for the old being consumed by the new when it was truly a sign of synergy. But… if he perhaps worked on the colors better and had some shading done here with the right gradient… maybe then his idea would be better understood.

 

He was shocked back to reality by Futaba, that gremlin, leaping on his shoulders. “Inari! It’s time to go get Mona back!” 

 

With a sneer, Yusuke jolted his shoulders back to knock the insipid troll off and stood up before she could reattach herself to him. He looked around and saw that all of his teammates were there, and were ready to leave for Okumura’s Tower. 

 

“Well, then, let us be off. I do wonder the visual style of this upcoming Palace.” He swept all of his art supplies back into his bag and was quick to join the others on their descent down the stairs of the cafe. 

 

“Don’t leave without me!” Futaba hollered behind them. “I’m the one with the codewords, so don’t leave me!”

 

“It’s amazing how you can navigate the Metaverse and yet cannot take a subway on your own, you demon.” He drawled to her as she caught up to the group, shaking his head and being unable to hide the soft smirk that came to his face.

 

\---

 

Space. This Palace was entirely about space. 

 

That really fit into his end of semester project about the endless possibilities of human ingenuity… the void of space, beautiful yet empty until filled. Like, perhaps, this space ship? Or the stars?

 

Yusuke trailed behind the other Thieves while he focused on that train of thought. And was woefully thrown out of it at the appearance of the factory part of the Palace. Disgusting.

 

_ The endless possibilities of human ingenuity are hindered and covered by the reckless and endangering nature of mass production and capitalism!  _ Yusuke clapped his hands together as he gave a quick exclamation, causing his teammates to give him a quick confused look before continuing to chat about the barbarism of the scene before them. 

 

Thankfully, Ren knew by now to let Yusuke wander in the back for a few fights when given a whole new environment to explore and invest himself in. But… according to that face he was getting from Ren, his free time was almost up. Yusuke gave a sigh and attached himself to Ren’s side, preparing himself to focus on the Shadows they were about to face and their ability to move.

 

That chance did not happen, however. They entered the next room and came face to face with Morgana and his companion. 

 

Yusuke recognized her immediately. 

 

It was the girl from the beach in Hawaii. 

 

She was the light in this dark dismal void of construction. The way her hat sat upon her hair, how her clothes fit, the way she flipped from that tall structure, how her voice echoed in this despairing chamber.

 

She was elegance defined. 

 

He had no idea what she was talking about, Ren could take care of that, but his muse was back. And she could go to the Metaverse! There were so many new possibilities. He couldn’t stop himself from framing her with his hands as she spoke, trying to figure out the best angle.

 

She calls herself the Beauty Thief. 

 

Fitting.

 

\---

 

That evening when he returns home, his pencil flies across paper faster than it has in months.

 

While they were unable to get Morgana back or ascertain the identity of the new persona user with him, he had been able to see his muse once more.

 

Her Musketeer inspired outfit, her refined way of speaking, she encapsulated a facet of rebellion that he was unaware of before now. And he was now fascinated. Her ability to enter the genetic lock must mean that she is related to their target, which highlighted the root of her cause.

 

A stunning noblesse, aware of the follies of her economic peers, deciding to tear down the tyrannies and create life anew! Rebelling against the crooked actions of her father to better help others! 

 

How to best encompass that in a painting?

 

Yusuke was excited to find out the answer to that question and continued to sketch everything he could remember from their Metaverse trip for today in hopes of finding the right combination of elements to jumpstart his current need to paint. 

 

With the space theme that he had going on… she was one of the stars being overwhelmed by the manmade atrocities of her father, and she would one day take back her corner of space and cast him aside. 

 

He hoped that his teammates would figure out that she was an Okumura soon, he desperately wanted to be able to chat with her and see if it were possible to have her pose for him. He was certain that at least Makoto or Ren would be able to come to that conclusion. It was pretty obvious, so he wasn’t going to waste his breath, especially not when he had so many ideas ready to burst from his pencil - he was sure he’d have to scrounge for a new sketchbook soon.

 

He peeked over to the empty tank where his lobsters once stood. Pastel and Charcoal were sadly taken away from him once the head of the dorm caught wind of them, but he had kept the tank in an effort to try and hold on to the inspiration that they gave him. It usually only filled him with longing, which could be useful at times, but was not what he was hoping the effort would have been. 

 

This time, however, he was filled with hope. As he looked at the remnants of his aquatic muses, he was once again filled with thoughts of the Beauty Thief. 

 

_ Well, it seems like you’ve already stolen one heart, Beauty Thief. Can you help me steal the world’s with my brush? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all!
> 
> Here's another chapter of this. 
> 
> It's been a crazy stressful time for me as of late. Like, working 10 days in a row, trying to get my house ready to show so it can be sold, applying to jobs and interviewing. 
> 
> There's a lot going on. 
> 
> So, I've been writing this as it is fun and lighthearted and not serious. 
> 
> There might be a lot of this story in the next few weeks as I deal with all of the above hectic life stuff.
> 
> Please let me know how you like it!


	3. Fast Friends

_ Haru. Haru Okumura. Spring. _

 

Yusuke mused over the fitting nature of Haru’s name as he watched her finished Persona leap forth, finally taking form. 

 

The image of Milady standing triumphant over Haru, cannons swiveling their sights on all who dared draw near their princess…

 

It was breathtaking.

 

The musketeer being protected by the noblisse, instead of the other way around. 

 

That was poetry. A subversion of expectations. 

 

Before he could muse on that any further, an opening to strike made itself known, and he so he leapt into action, katana singing as it cut through the Shadow of the man Haru hated.

  
  
  


\---

 

Haru couldn’t stop shaking. 

 

Her whole body was electrified at the sudden increase of power, at the sudden full awakening of her persona.

 

_ That… was what Mona was talking about when he said that I’d know. _

 

Blinking a few times, she lifted her hands up to rearrange her hat, only to notice a comically sized axe in her hand. 

 

_ Oh. This will do quite nicely. _

 

She went to lift it and give Sugimura a piece of her mind, but she was unused to the weight.  _ Hmmmm, gonna have to give myself a moment to figure this out. _

 

She giggled as she went to lift the axe a few more time to get used to the weight. 

 

She looked up after one of her practice swings to see that Kosei boy, Fox, dash forward. His body bent close to the ground to give him leverage as he lept into action, taking advantage of an opening that Joker had made. Using the forward momentum that he had gained in his sprint, he sprang into the air, katana singing as it slashed through Sugimura.

 

The blade found purchase across the neck of the Shadow, cutting it clean off, checking off one of Haru’s favorite dreams and making it reality.

 

He slowly stood up, rolling his body as he did so, and flicked the dark Shadow residue off of his katana. As he turned back towards the body, a feral grin was comfortably perched upon his face.

 

“Well, he won’t be causing you anymore issues, I should hope.”

 

Haru blinked in return as her new teammate, Fox, slowly approached her. 

 

“I do apologize for taking that final blow from you. I just, I could not stand another moment with that decorumless wastrel befouling our visions.” He gave deep bow from the waist towards her.

 

“Oh, um. Thank you, Fox. I do appreciate what you have done, and, um, while it may have been nice to be able to eviscerate him myself, I did quite revel in being able to watch you do so. Being able to fully see the destruction was extremely fulfilling.”

 

“Oh good! I’m glad to hear of it. The vanquishing of Shadows really can be quite the art form. I’m so pleased to hear that you agree.” He stood back up straight. 

 

He towered over Haru in height, gazing down with a deep expression on his face.

 

But… it wasn’t the one Sugimura gave. It wasn’t tearing her apart in her mind to find the next weakness. It was examining, yes. But, when he had found what he was apparently looking for, he gave a gentle smile instead of a terrifying smirk.

 

“Yes?” She quietly asked.

 

“Oh, sorry. I was just noticing how the feather on your hat seems to move in conjunction with the amount of fire in your eyes. I could make a painting about that.” And then, without another word, he did an about face and went over to where Joker and the others were. 

 

“It… does…?” Haru blinked a few more times to herself as she tried to understand that interaction. After a moment, she sped along over to the rest of the team, realizing that she wasn’t going to figure it out soon.

 

\---

 

After quite a few more battles, Joker and Oracle finally came upon a Safe Room.

 

Piling on in, the Thieves appreciated the much needed respite more than usual. They didn’t usually continue in a Palace after an Awakening took place, and those were giant tolls on everyone. 

 

Queen and Mona took a moment to heal everyone after making sure everyone was accounted for and then flopped into their decided corners to try and rest up. 

 

“Okay, team, take your time. This is going to be a bit of an extended break, as we just had a lot go down. No rush. We continue when ready.” Joker called out to the Thieves as a whole while he wandered towards the couch that he had requested Oracle glitch into the room for him.

 

A universal sigh of relief passed through all of the team as their preferred sitting arrangements were zapped into being by Oracle’s glitch powers.

 

Noir looked at the show of power with wide eyes, and stayed standing at the entrance until Oracle looked up and noticed her still standing.

 

“Oh, yeah. I have yet to program you a chair…. What do you want?”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“So, you know how I can glitch the Metaverse in battle?”

 

A nod.

 

“I can do that in here too. More so than usual, actually. The Safe Rooms are…” she paused for a moment to think of the best words. “They’re like our corners of the Palaces. Like, we have control here. So, I can make whatever I want be real.”

 

Noir’s brow scrunched for a moment to try and follow Oracle. “I… think I do…” she mused. 

 

“So, what sounds comfortable to you? And, don’t stress it, you can always change it later if you wish. Heck, Joker has a different one for each of his moods… speaking of which…” Oracle turned towards Joker and looked at him.

 

“Hey! You’re sighing way too loudly! Stop trying to get my attention!” She shouted over at him across the room. 

 

His response was an even louder groan.

 

Oracle rolled her eyes and typed a few commands into her computer. 

 

Right before Noir’s eyes, the couch that Joker was laying on transformed into a fainting couch. With a blinking neon sign stating “DRAMA QUEEN” right above him on the wall.

 

“Am not….” he whined.

 

“I will add the spotlight if you don’t shut up.”

 

“I’m shutting up.” was his final reply, as he reclined on the new furniture with one hand lazily splayed across his forehead.

 

Noir and Oracle shared a giggle before getting back to their previous conversation.

 

\---

 

Fox had been trying to expand upon the sketches of the Shadows they had seen in these early stages of the Palace when his attention was caught by the ruckus going on in the Safe Room.

 

Gazing up out of the corner of his eye, he saw Joker’s dramatic posturing upon his newly made-up fainting couch and couldn’t help but smirk. The dramatics of their leader never failed to help him see the mundane through new lights. The normally quiet teen had a true knack for turning expectation on its head and forcing everyone to see what was truly underneath. 

 

And while, for him, it was usually an impressively dramatic teen with gymnastics training and no health theatrical outlet, for Yusuke it was often a reminder of how there is always more to everything. 

 

With that wonderful unexpected reminder, Yusuke turned back to the sketch for his project he was trying to do.  _ What if… the planet in the middle of this space scene was made of those flowers that Noir smells of? And it’s entrapped by the space station… _

 

Settling deep into his thoughts, Yusuke leaned back into the very rigidly backed chair that he had requested from Oracle (“Why? I could get you something comfortable.” “No thanks, I like to have a firm seat while I’m drawing.” “You’re freaking weird, Inari.”). He had completely fallen into them, encapsulating himself into his work until he was jolted out of his headspace by a presence drawing near to him.

 

Snapping his head up, his eyes were level with Noir’s.

 

“Uh… Yes?” He gulped.

 

“Sorry. Is it alright… if I join you?”

 

“I suppose… Why would you want to?”

 

She started to draw with her toe on the ground, “Well, to be honest, I was just very curious as to your art. Mona told me a lot about it, and I must admit I was curious to see it myself.”

 

“Well, once again, I suppose so.” He nodded his head to the space next to him, opposite his drawing arm. 

 

Noir beamed and placed her chair down next to him, nestling into the lilac covered wingback chair Futaba had created for her. She peered over his arm to the drawing pad that he had pulled back up.

 

His hand hesitated for the first few strokes as he got back into the swing of his work.  _ What is she thinking? Does she like my work? _ He bit his lip trying to concentrate on his work.  _ I’ve never been concerned about people watching me before. Why is this different? How can I break this mood? _

 

That flowery scent from Noir drifted over to him once more. Attaching his brain onto that, he started to sketch the flowers the scent brought to mind onto the captured planet. Honing in on getting the angle of the stamen just right, he was able to delve back into his headspace to continue his project. 

 

That is, until Noir spoke back up.

 

“Is that… Are you using my father’s Space Station to be symbolism of Capitalism and how it destroys human ingenuity by blocking the stars and captures people and sucks them dry, by using my less than ideal relationship with him as a focus?”

 

Gobsmacked, Fox’s jaw dropped as his pencil clattered on the ground.

 

“How… Did you know?”

 

“It just… made sense. Very compelling use of symbolism.”

 

“Oh, thank you….” He was still in shock. 

 

The other Thieves had stopped what they were doing to check in on Fox. He didn’t get snapped out of his drawing mode often, and never to the point of possibly damaging one of his treasured utensils for work.

 

Joker had removed himself from the fainting couch and wandered over, “Is… everything alright, Fox?”

 

“Uh….” Fox just blinked, staring off into space.

 

“I’m so sorry, Joker! I apparently said something.” Noir was wringing her hands. 

 

“Oh snap! Dude, your pencil broke. Sorry, man.” Skull lamented from under the table in the middle of the Safe Room, where the pencil had rolled. It had, indeed, broken in half. Skull nervously scratched his head while waiting for Fox’s reaction.

 

There was none. 

 

He was still staring off.

 

“Oh, I’ll buy him some new supplies. It’s the least I can do for shocking him like this.” Noir clapped her hands together and smiled. “So, Fox, do you think we can meet up tomorrow after school to buy new supplies?”

 

That jilted Fox out of his reverie. “Oh, no… I couldn’t accept that. I’ll just find the money somewhere…”

 

“No. Let. Me.” Noir’s face was suddenly in Fox’s, and was very aggressive. 

 

“But, I couldn’t put you out like that.”

 

“I have billions of Yen. In my pocket. Right now. Let. Me. Buy. You. A. Pencil.”

 

“Billions?” He started blinking shock again.

 

“Yes. So, we’re going to hang out tomorrow, okay?” She giggled and smiled again. 

 

Fox slowly nodded. 

 

“Perfect!” She clapped her hands together once more, and then got up and straightened out her outfit. “So, Joker, you got up… does that mean we’re heading back out soon?”

 

“Um, sure.” Joker seemed a bit dazed at the turnaround from Noir, “I was just making sure you were alright. I know Awakening is exhausting.”

 

“I’ll be fine!” Her eyes crinkled, “I’ve got some negative energy I’d love to be able to finally work out.”

 

Joker silently nodded as she turned towards the door, and signaled to the rest of the Thieves to pack on up.

 

\---

 

After the stint in the Safe Room, Noir was introduced to the main front line party. 

 

“So, we’ll have you in here for a few battles to see how you fit in, and then decide the best place for you in the group.”

 

She had just nodded with a bubbly grin, and giggled in response.

 

Joker had just assumed it was her way of psyching herself up.  _ Gotta let her have a chance to see her battle style. I imagine she’s another support member. But, we’ll see…. _

 

It wasn’t too long after that that they ran into their first group of Shadows to test Noir’s mettle. 

 

“Okay! Remember, take it easy. We’re just seeing what capabilities you have so we can figure out a battle plan for future fights!”

 

“Yessir!” She tipped her Musketeer hat’s rim at him as she stepped into her battle pose. 

 

_ Did…. she just pull out an axe? _

 

\---

 

Fox leapt up the front lines as Joker called out for the battle to start, striking the nearest enemy as soon as they were visible. 

 

“What’s his role?”

 

“Fox is our fastest, and strongest striker. He’s about as fragile as you would imagine someone as skinny as him being, but he makes up for it with his strength of will. So, it’s always his job to get in that first strike.”

 

“And that katana?”

 

“He’s always been a slightly old-fashioned person, who loves tradition.”

 

“That makes sense… so is it my turn now?”

 

“Yeah, go for it.”

 

“Okay!”

 

Fox turned to see what Noir’s contributions to the party would be….

 

And was amazed to see her running forward with an axe the size of her body.

 

Fox stilled and looked over at Joker. The two made eye contact and nodded while swallowing.

 

Fox’s head spun back over to Noir just as she was cleaving the enemy in two with a smile shining so strong that he could feel his own lips turning up to match.

 

_ Beautiful. _

 

As that particular Shadow dissolved into dust, Noir spun on her feet and  _ skipped _ back over to Joker. “Did I do that correctly?”

 

Joker slowly nodded. “... Yeah. That was great….”

 

“So…. there are a few more, what else should we do?”

 

Queen was casting disabling spells on the enemy party to keep them in place. 

 

“I mean… if you’re up to it, Noir. We can, well, see what else you have. I know that you have Psychic spells… You should have a gun of some sort. Let’s see what that is. So, pull it out and aim it at one of the remaining baddies.”

 

“Just one of them?”

 

“I mean… yes?” Joker’s voice was starting to taper off again in concern. “Unless… you think you can hit more than one at a time?”

 

“Okay! Let’s go!” She giggled to herself once more as she pulled out her gun. 

 

It looked a little thick and stocky to Fox, but he didn’t know too much about guns. He liked how precise and accurate his own was, and that was all that mattered to him. 

 

He lost his thoughts about gun types when suddenly the ground started shaking. He looked over at Noir to see her juggling grenades. Looking past her, there were scorch marks along the ground where Shadows once were.

 

“You’ve got to be shittin’ me!” Skull’s voice screamed from the rear of the party. “You have an effin’ grenade launcher! How freaking balls is that!” 

 

Fox looked over at Joker and saw him gulp. He looked back over at Noir and saw her hugging the gun with a peaceful grin. 

 

_ Absolutely stunning. _

 

\---

 

That evening, Yusuke was at a loss for words. 

 

_ She gets it. _

 

That phrase never left his head as he continued his work on his project. 

 

With each lilac he drew on the planet, his mind focused deeper and deeper on the newest member of the Phantom Thieves, Haru. 

 

She understood his art direction. She understood him. 

 

He put his spare pencil down for a moment and raised his hand to his cheeks.  _ Why are they warm? _

 

Bringing thoughts of Goemon to mind, he cooled his hands enough to hopefully cool his cheeks. 

 

_ Better.  _

 

_ Wonder why that even happened? Was I…. blushing? But why? _

 

It came to him suddenly.

 

Haru.

 

She had truly captured him as his muse. And, he was positively she had no idea. He didn’t fully understand it either. 

 

Without thinking, he had flipped to a new page in his sketchbook. Pencil flying across the page as quickly as his thoughts. 

 

Her smile. Her giggling. Her grin as she held her axe. Her laughter as she used her grenades. 

 

_ No wonder she uses Psychic abilities, she’s wriggled her way into my brain.  _

 

While musing on how deeply he was starting to realize he was falling for her, a portrait had started to make shape on, yet another, page. 

 

Haru, as Milady. The dress a globe, a world exploding into Spring. Axe and launcher in hand. Haru as Mother Earth. 

 

_ Nature is both kind and viscous. Creating and destroying. Passive and aggressive.  _

 

_ The gentle-kindness of new life and the viciousness of the food chain. Starting her whole life anew by destroying the past season and blossoming into this new season of life. _

 

_ Who better to show me true beauty than the embodiment of Spring? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!
> 
> Sorry this took so long!
> 
> As I have said on other fics, I’ve moved across the country, and well… that’s exhausting. I’ve been slowly writing this over the past week, but between job interviews, being sick, and then starting a new job (huzzah) it’s been stressful. But, hey! I did it! 
> 
> I really enjoyed writing this and I hope that y’all like it. I added a few minor headcanons of mine to this. Hope you don’t mind. 
> 
> I had way too much fun writing Haru.
> 
> Please let me know how you like this.


	4. First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm in actual pain from the amount of fluff I put in this.

Yusuke leaned against his favorite pillar in the subway station of Shibuya, sketching book open in front of him, eyes scanning the crowd to find noteworthy people.

 

_ Ah, there. _

 

Ahead of him was a woman, arms filled with shopping bags, leaning over the counter of the smoothie shop near him. She had to have some level of flexibility due to the ease of the angle she was leaning, it was so smooth and fluid, not jagged and heavy like most people. Her torso just twisted like… 

 

His hands were flying across his page as he tried to figure out the correct analogy, lamenting his lacking vocabulary to explain why this pose would be useful to him in the future.

 

The word he wanted was right on his lips, he could taste the sturdy, yet malleable nature of the image he was trying to evoke when there was a sudden hand on his shoulder. 

 

He spun, hand instinctively going for his waist, for his katana, before realizing that he was in the Real World.

 

Also, before realizing that it was Haru who had placed her hand on him.

 

Giggling, she smiled at him, hand still not moving, “Hello there, Yusuke! I hope I didn’t bother you, I just wanted to let you know I was here!”

 

His voice caught in his throat. He was startled from being jostled from his art, yes. But, that wasn’t it. Her soft lavender jacket was the perfect color for the pastel palette he had been trying to figure out for one of his pieces of her, her floral leggings evokes images of the Spring aethetic he was trying to connect her to. The MaryJanes, perfectly classy yet innocent, a wonderful contrast to her eyes, fire still burning just as strongly as her Awakening yesterday.

 

_ She’s… perfect… _

 

“Yusuke?” Her head tilt to the side a tiny degree.

 

He vigorously shook his head, “Sorry, sorry. You just inspired me.”

 

Her hand flew up to her mouth, a blush spreading across her already rosy cheeks. After a moment, in which Yusuke was rather confused, she once again had a dainty smile across her face. “Well, aren’t you the charmer.”

 

“Charmer? I... “ His face scrunched up, “I just was telling the truth. Your appearance today gave me an idea for an art project.”

 

Her dainty smile turned into a much more relaxed and authentic one. “Well, you’ll have to tell me about it, please.” She slipped her arm through his, “But first, I want a smoothie.”

 

“But… I don’t have the money for that…” Yusuke stammered out.

 

“My treat.”

 

“I couldn’t.”

 

“I am going to buy two smoothies regardless, and if you don’t drink it, I  _ will _ throw it out in front of you.” she patted his hand, firmly.

 

“Yes, ma’am.”

 

A grin was her only response.

 

\---

 

After their discussion about his vision for the pieces of art she had inspired in him, (“Having my rebellion against my father and personal growth be represented by a cage exploding around Mother Nature and being transformed into flora sounds  _ incredible. _ ”) the two made their way to the art store.

 

Yusuke bit his lip as he entered the store. There were so many things that caught his eye, as usual. But, he never had the funds for them normally. And, now that Haru was here and was  _ demanding  _ to pay for his goods, he couldn’t let himself go overboard.

 

_ Must not linger too long, must not allow myself to gaze at unnecessary things. I cannot take advantage of Haru’s graciousness. _

 

Haru, for the first time today, seemed to be a little anxious.

 

“What is the matter?” he focused on her once more.

 

“I just, I’ve never really been in a store like this. There’s so many options here! How will I know what you need to get your project done?”

 

“Don’t worry,” he patted her hand, which was still in the crook of his arm, “I made a mental list of the necessities.”

 

She nodded, a strange glint appearing in her eyes.

 

He paused for a moment, trying to parse it out, but shook his head.  _ The nervousness is gone, and that was what was important. _

 

Without much more prompting, Yusuke led Haru through the store. He had meant to go directly to the location of the supplies he needed, but Haru had started asking him about other supplies along the way, and so the trip had turned into a tour of the whole store. 

 

It was… invigorating. Haru seemed to be fully focused on everything he said. And not just nodding, but asking questions about usage. And, of course, he made sure to answer as well as he could, telling her how he would love to use certain products, or how the quality differed between brands. And she seemed to be absorbing it like a sponge; asking how different products from multiple aisles back would interact with a material in front of the currently. Whether or not this type or paint or that type of paint would be better to create the effect he wanted for one of the projects he mentioned over smoothies.

 

Yusuke… to be honest… didn’t know how to feel. Most people ignored him, waved him off, gave him only the barest of attention. Even his fellow Thieves, if he was to be honest. They were his best friends, his first true friends, but they didn’t fully try to interact with his passions. They accepted them, they worked with him for them, but they didn’t try to engage.

 

Haru did. 

 

And he didn’t know how that made him feel just yet.

 

There was a warmth in his chest, and with each passing remark from the girl on his arm it grew a little more, covered a bit more of his body. His hands, that had been cold as ice for as long as he could remember, felt on fire and as if they were melting. 

 

For some reason, all he could think about was that day on the boats with Joker, how he was told that being on the boats was a romantic sort of love. He had no idea why that image kept coming up now, but it  _ wouldn’t go away. _

 

_ Maybe… I should ask her. Maybe she would know why? _

 

“Haru.”

 

“Yes!” She popped her head towards him, beaming as she was comparing two different shades of lavender.

 

“Would you ever… want to go on one of the boats at the lake? With me?” 

 

He didn’t think it possible, but her face lit up even more. “I would  _ love _ to! I’ve never been before! What brings this up?”

 

“I’m not positive…” He looked away, strangely nervous, “I went once with Joker… but he said it was… awkward? Maybe I’ll understand what he meant by that with you?” his brows were furrowed, trying hard to figure out the best words.

 

“Of course! I will gladly help you figure it out!” light was all but pouring out of her face right now.

 

“Thank you. I appreciate it.” he bowed his head towards her. 

 

She grabbed his arm once more. “You are just a sweetheart!”  _ Why am I blushing.  _ “So, now that we have what you need for your project, let’s go grab dinner!”

 

Shock covered his face, “I told you, I don’t have money for that!”

 

“And I told YOU. I am going to buy two dinners and will throw away one if you don’t eat it.”

 

“Yes, ma’am.”

 

“That’s what I thought.” Her face was smug, “Now, bring your goods to the counter, I have things to buy.”

 

\---

 

“Don’t look at the prices, sweetie. I never do.”

 

Haru had correctly interpreted why Yusuke was currently gaping like a fish. 

 

“I could never impose on your wallet like this!”

 

“This is literally pocket change to me, Yusuke.”

 

“What…?” His mind was short circuiting.

 

“I’m the daughter of one of the richest men on earth. I have enough money to make sure each of our group would never have to work again a day in their lives. Or their children’s lives. Let me buy you dinner.”

 

“Yes, ma’am.”

 

The powerful smile on her face each time he said that was starting to get to him. 

 

_ If listening to her makes her feel better, I might as well. _

 

“Well…” Yusuke paused, unsure how to ask this. “I have no idea what any of the things on this menu are. What should I get?”

 

“You don’t?”

 

“Madarame never let me have any of this growing up.” He bit his lip, ashamed.

 

“Tell me about Madarame? If you want?” 

 

She was genuinely interesting in hearing about it. And not for the drama, for  _ him. _ And that was a bizarre thing for him to get.

 

“He… I didn’t eat a lot.” he frowned, “I know I have a lithe physique. And it isn’t by choice. I was told that true artistic dedication required abstaining from all worldly goods, including food or rest.” he scoffed, “Of course, knowing now that he was using the money from my art to have mistresses and mansions doesn’t make the fact that I ate grass to survive any easier to stomach.”

 

“You….  _ ate.  _ **_Grass?_ ** ”

 

Yusuke stammered at the sudden fury flying off of Haru. The area around Haru was starting to twist and sway, with objects starting to float slightly off the table.

 

“I’m fine now!” he threw his hands up in defense, “I see Dr. Takemi every week with Joker to get my diet back on track, I promise!”

 

The spoons clattered back on the table, but the ends of the tablecloth were still wavy.

 

“I’m very glad that horrible  _ wretch _ of a man is already in jail.” her teeth ground out.

 

“As am I, as am I.” he placated her. “However, I doubt you came here just to for us to get angry at my former mentor. Let us speak of happier things.”

 

She took a few more deep breaths, the edges of the tablecloth finally reverting back to their normal state, before allowing her smile to blossom once more. 

 

“I’d love to! So, tell me about Goemon! I wanna know if you ever used your ice in your art!”

 

He blinked a few times at her in shock. “I had not, but I am about to. You are beyond brilliant, my dear.” 

 

This time, it was Haru’s turn to blush.

 

Their conversation only paused long enough for Haru to order for both of them.

 

The food was delicious.

 

\---

 

Yusuke noticed on the way back to the Shibuya station that Haru was nervous once more.

 

“Haru… are you okay?”

 

She paused, surprised, “Why would you think I wasn’t?”

 

“Your stance, your gait. You’re suddenly taking shorter and faster steps, and you’re clenching my arm with slightly more force.” he turned to look at her head on, “And, you’re biting your lip. You never do that.”

 

“Goodness, you are perceptive.”

 

“I take pride in that.”

 

“As you should. Why do you think I’m nervous?” she turned the question back on him.

 

He brought his free arm to his chin to think.

 

“Is it because of your father? You don’t usually spend time away from home and you’re worried about him or that immeasurable bastard you’re forced to call a fiance?”

 

She blinked a few times at him. “You cut right to the deeper issue there… that wasn’t what I was working myself up to… but it’s definitely there.”

 

He detached himself from her grip to stand in front of her and place his hands on her shoulders, “Remember, my dear Haru, you are no longer alone. We will help you against this terror.” he paused, “And I am glad to have given you a brief respite from it this afternoon.”

 

“Would you.. Be willing to do so again? Soon?” Haru quietly whispered.

 

“Of course, I asked you to help me with the lake, didn’t I? Or… did you have something else in mind?”

 

“I was wondering…” she bit her lip and looked to the side, “I was hoping you would draw me.”

 

Yusuke stared. 

 

“... you know… that I could model for you?”

 

“You would model. For me?”

 

“Would that be weird?”

 

“No!” before he realized what he was doing, he swept her up in a hug, “I have been trying to figure out how to ask you if you would model for me since I first saw you in Hawaii! But I was trying to be respectful that not everyone wants to model!” he was swinging her around now.

 

He placed her back down, patting her down.

 

“I’m sorry about that… today has just been one of the best of my life.” he looked directly in her eyes, “I would love to be your distraction from the world. You just let me know, and I’ll be there.”

 

In the distance, they could hear the announcement for Yusuke’s train.

 

“I have to go. But please! Text me!”

 

She was still too shocked by all that just happened to even respond. Jaw slightly dropped, she slapped her face a few times to make sure things were real before pulling out her phone and texting her driver. 

 

\---

 

That evening, Yusuke sat in his dorm room staring at his wall in terror.

 

_ What did I get myself into? Did I do the right thing? _

 

His phone, usually dormant except for Thief activity, was suddenly exploding with messages from the newest member, Haru. Photos of cute things, random thoughts, questions about his current project.

 

He had asked her why the sudden influx of messages, only to get a cute ( _ cute? _ )  **You said you would love to be my distraction from the world. I need it.**

 

He graciously continued to respond. But was still very confused by the whole thing. Was this normal? Did people usually text this much? Why didn’t the other Thieves text him as much?

 

In his confusion, he decided to reach out to the one person he knew who understood emotions the best.

 

That phone call had ended with Ryuji laughing nonstop, wishing him the best of luck and congratulating him on getting “the scariest effing girlfriend in Tokyo.” And that he would praying for him.

 

Whatever that meant.

 

Shaking his head, he tried to get back to work on his sketch, hoping to have something to show Haru the next time she texted him.

 

A few small strokes of his charcoal later, and a form was started to take shape.

 

The feather from Haru’s Metaverse hat. It was… jumping off of the hat, transforming into a bird, a dove about to take flight. The peace of her soul coming to life, using her rebellion as a jumping point.

 

_ I hope she likes the imagery. _ He grinned to himself as he imagined the vivid background he would paint, with the stark white dove breaking free from it all.

 

_ She makes me feel free. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!
> 
> I hope you all liked this. I was literally grinning the entire time. Like, holy shit, this was fluff. Hot damn. The words FLEW off my fingers. Ahhh. I LOVED THIS.
> 
> Please, please please let me know if you liked it. This chapter made me happy and I wanna know if it made y’all happy too.
> 
> :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hey!
> 
> I know, another fic... while I still have all my other stuff going on. I am still writing those, but this was a happy little fluffy thing that came into my mind. And I decided to do it. It isn't going to be long. Just a handful of snapshots that I have scribbled down on my fanfic ideas list. 
> 
> I might make a whole series about random pairings, as I honestly pair every PT with every other PT without issues. 
> 
> But this is definitely a side fluffy project and I hope that you guys enjoy it!


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